Vacuum relief valve

ABSTRACT

A vacuum relief valve releases vacuum force at a pool suction cover when the suction cover is obstructed. A valve plunger rests against a valve seat within a valve body under normal pool operating conditions. A biasing member maintains the valve plunger against the valve seat. The biasing member compresses and moves the valve plunger to a position away from the valve seat when the suction cover is obstructed. Once the obstruction is removed, the valve plunger is automatically returned to its resting position against the valve seat. The valve body is attached to fluid conduit that carries a source of air to the pump when the valve plunger is moved away from the valve seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vacuum relief valve for a poolsystem.

Conventional water circulation systems for swimming pools, whirlpoolsand the like typically include a suction pump and one or more suctioncovers built into the bottom or side of the pool and connected to thesuction side of the pump. During normal water circulation operation,water is drawn through a line via the suction pump and circulatedthrough any of filtration, aeration, chemical treatment and otherequipment, prior to being returned to the pool body via return jets.

Large volumes of water are pumped through suction covers of this type,and as a result suction forces at the suction cover may become extremelyhigh. The suction force can become so extreme that when a human bodypart comes into contact with the suction cover the body part may becometrapped in the suction cover.

Safety valves that continuously draw air into the suction side of a pumpare known. Disadvantageously, these safety valves compromise theperformance of the pump and the return jets. Safety valves thatautomatically open and bleed air to the pump when a suction coverbecomes blocked are also known. However, these safety valves are complexin design and manufacture. Also, once these valves have been tripped, itis necessary to manually reset the valves.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a safety valve which is notcomplex and that does not detract from the performance of the pump andreturn jets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A vacuum relief valve assembly according to the present inventionprovides vacuum relief at a pool suction cover when the vacuum at asuction cover becomes excessive.

The vacuum relief valve assembly of the present invention includes avalve body, a valve plunger and a biasing member. The valve plunger islocated within the valve body and rests against a valve seat when thepool water circulation system is operating under normal conditions. Thebiasing member is attached to the valve plunger and maintains the valveplunger against the valve seat under normal operating conditions.

The valve body defines a flow path between atmosphere and a fluidconduit. When a pool suction cover becomes obstructed by a body part orthe like, the suction force of the pump increases thereby overcoming thebiasing force of the biasing member. The biasing member then compressesand moves the valve plunger away from the valve seat. Atmosphere entersthe fluid conduit and is carried to the pump thereby cavitating the pumpand causing the suction force at the suction cover to drop. Once thesuction cover is unobstructed, the biasing member decompresses and thevalve plunger returns to its resting position against the valve seat.There is no need for manual resetting.

The vacuum relief valve assembly of the present invention provides anuncomplicated vacuum relief valve that eliminates the need for manualreset after an obstruction is removed from the pool suction cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various features and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings thataccompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a pool water circulation system utilizinga vacuum relief valve assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vacuum relief valve of the presentinvention when in a closed position.

FIG. 2A is a cross sectional view of the vacuum relief valve shown inFIG. 2 along section 2A.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vacuum relief valve of the presentinvention when in an open position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vacuum relief valve assembly of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, a pool water circulation system incorporating avacuum relief valve assembly 10 of the present invention is illustrated.A pool body 12 includes a suction cover 14 at its bottom. It should beunderstood that when the term pool is used in the present specificationit includes but is not limited to swimming pools, spas, whirlpools,bathtubs, ponds, lakes, etc.

During normal pool water circulation operating conditions, pump 16creates a suction force at the suction cover 14 thereby causing fluid toenter a piping system 18. The piping system 18 carries the fluid fromthe suction cover 14 of the pool body 12 to various equipment stagessuch as a sanitizer 20, a filter 22 and a heater 24. The fluid is thendelivered back to the pool body 12 at an inlet fitting 26 via the pipingsystem 18.

The vacuum relief valve assembly 10 is located on the suction side ofthe pump 16. In the event the suction cover 14 becomes obstructed, thepump 16 creates increased vacuum pressure at the suction cover 14.Subsequently, the vacuum relief valve assembly 10 allows a source ofair, such as atmosphere, to enter the piping system 18 and therebycavitate the pump. The vacuum level at the suction cover 14 consequentlydrops. In the event the obstruction is caused by an occupant of thepool, when the vacuum pressure is relieved, the occupant should be ableto move away from the suction cover 14. Once the suction cover 14becomes unobstructed, the vacuum relief valve assembly 10 automaticallyreturns to a normal position and prevents atmosphere from entering thepiping system 18.

Referring to FIG. 2, a cylindrical shaped valve body 28 of the vacuumrelief valve assembly 10 is a single-piece injection molded part. Thevalve body 28 defines a flow path 31 along axis A for a source of air,such as atmosphere, to enter. A valve plunger 30 is positioned withinthe valve body 28 and rests against a valve seat 32. The flow path 31 isa pathway formed completely through the vacuum relief valve assembly 10along axis A that communicates with the source of air so that when thevalve body 28 rests against the valve seat 32, atmosphere is kept fromentering the flow path 31. The flow path 31 communicates with the pipingsystem 18 at an end opposite the valve body 28 from the valve seat 32.The valve body 28 and the valve plunger 30 are preferably constructed ofPVC. The valve seat 32 is preferably constructed of a resilient materialsuch as rubber. It should be understood that other materials may beutilized in the construction of the valve body 28, the valve plunger 30and the valve seat 32 of the present invention.

A biasing member 34 is located within the valve body 28 and is attachedbetween the valve plunger 30 and the inner side of the valve body 28.The biasing member 34 maintains the valve plunger 30 firmly against thevalve seat 32. Preferably, the biasing member is a spring. It should beunderstood that other types of biasing members may be utilized. Pressurespacers 36 may be utilized as support for the biasing member 34 on aninner side of the valve body 28. The pressure spacers 36 provide thebiasing member 34 with increased force to maintain the valve plunger 30against the valve seat 32 when utilizing the pump 16 which has a highhorsepower output.

The valve body 28 of the vacuum relief valve assembly 10 defines acylindrical boss 33 which maintains the biasing member 34 in properposition within the valve body 28. The inner diameter of the biasingmember 34 is greater than the outside diameter of the cylindrical boss33, therefore allowing the biasing member to fit over the cylindricalboss 33 at the inner side of the valve body 28.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the valve body 28 further defines four valveplunger guides 35 located at 90 degrees from one another. The valveplunger guides 35 facilitate the proper tracking of the valve plunger 30along each of four guide surfaces 37. The four guide surfaces 37 areparallel to the flow path 31. The valve plunger 30 maintains contact atthe four guide surfaces 37 and is unable to cock when moving away ortowards the valve seat 32 in the event the suction cover 14 becomesblocked or unblocked.

Referring again to FIG. 2, a valve cap 38 fits over the outer side ofthe valve body 28. Preferably, the valve cap 38 is manufactured of PVC.It should be understood that other materials may be utilized in theconstruction of the valve cap 38. The valve cap 38 is preferablyremovable so as to allow for replacement of the valve plunger 30 or thebiasing member 34 in the case of damage.

Referring to FIG. 3, a vacuum relief valve is shown in an open position.The valve body 28 functions in an open position when a suction cover 14becomes obstructed. As a result of the obstruction a pump 16 increasesvacuum force at the suction cover 14. The increased vacuum has theeffect of overcoming the biasing force of the biasing member 34. Thebiasing member 34 then compresses and the valve plunger 30 moves awayfrom the valve seat 32. Atmosphere is thus permitted to enter the valvebody 28 and travel to the pump 16 via the flow path 31. The atmospherecavitates the pump and causes the vacuum at suction cover 14 todecrease. The suction cover 14 becomes unobstructed and the valveplunger 30 automatically returns to a position against the valve seat 32as is shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, a valve body 28 is attached to a fluid conduit 40.The fluid conduit 40 is a 90° offset elbow. The fluid conduit 40 iscapable of being right aligned or left aligned. This allows the vacuumrelief valve assembly 10 of the present invention to be implemented intothe piping system 18 of existing water circulation systems on thesuction side of the pump 16 regardless of where the pump 16 is installedin the water circulation system of the pool.

That the foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative andnot in a limiting sense is thus made apparent. A worker of ordinaryskill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would comewithin the scope of this invention. For that reason, the followingclaims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of thisinvention.

1. A pool system, comprising: p1 a pool body; p1 a suction cover builtwithin said pool body; p1 a pump that communicates with said suctioncover; and p1 a vacuum relief valve located in a piping system on asuction side of said pump, said vacuum relief valve allowing a source ofair to enter said piping system and cavitate said pump responsive toblockage of said suction cover and automatically block said source ofair responsive to said suction cover becoming unblocked.
 2. The poolsystem as recited in claim 1, wherein said pump communicates with saidsuction cover via said piping system.
 3. The pool system as recited inclaim 1, wherein said source of air is atmosphere.
 4. The pool system asrecited in claim 1, wherein said vacuum relief valve includes a valvebody, a valve plunger and a biasing member.
 5. The pool system asrecited in claim 4, wherein said valve body defines a flow path betweensaid source of air and said piping system.
 6. The pool system as recitedin claim 4, wherein said valve plunger is positioned within said valvebody.
 7. The pool system as recited in claim 4, wherein said biasingmember is attached to said valve plunger, said biasing member operativeto compress and selectively locate said valve plunger in an openposition allowing said source of air to enter said piping system andcavitate said pump.
 8. The pool system as recited in claim 4, whereinsaid biasing member is operative to automatically decompress andselectively locate said valve plunger in a closed position responsive tosaid suction cover becoming unblocked thereby blocking said source ofair from entering said piping system.
 9. The pool system as recited inclaim 8, wherein said valve plunger is horizontally slideable along aplurality of valve plunger guides in said valve body responsive to saidbiasing member compressing and decompressing.
 10. The pool system asrecited in claim 9, wherein said valve body defines a cylindrical boss,said cylindrical boss maintaining the positioning of said biasing memberwithin said valve body.